on the floor or going
through the door. You're sure the doors were locked?"

"No doubt about that," Rawlins said.

"Seems to me," Blackburn went on, "that I was in the private staircase,
but did I walk downstairs? First thing I see clearly is the road through
the woods, not far from the station."

"What did you wear?" Robinson asked.

"I'd had my trousers and jacket on under my dressing-gown," the old man
answered, "because I knew the bed wasn't made up. That's what I wore
except for the dressing-gown. I reckon I must have left that in the room.
I wouldn't have gone back there for anything. My mind was full of those
angry people. I wanted to get as far away from the Cedars as possible. I
knew the last train from New York would be along about three o'clock, so
I thought I'd go on into Smithtown and in the morning see this detective
I'd been talking to. I went to Robert Waters's house. I've known him for
a long time. I guess you know who he is. He's such a book worm I figured
he might be up, and he wouldn't ask a lot of silly questions, being
selfish like most people that live all the time with books. He came to
the door, and I told him I wanted to spend the night. He offered to shake
hands. That's funny, too. I didn't feel like shaking hands with anybody.
I recollect that, because I'd felt sort of queer ever since going in the
old room, and something told me I'd better not shake hands."

Paredes looked up, wide-eyed. The cards slipped from his fragile,
pointed fingers.

"Do you realize, Mr. District Attorney, what this man is saying?"

But Robinson motioned him to silence.

"Let him go on. What happened then?"

"That's all," Blackburn answered, "except this long sleep I can't make
out. Old Waters didn't get mad at my not shaking hands. He was too tied
up in some book, I guess. I told him I was sleepy and didn't want to be
bothered, and he nodded to the spare room off the main hall, and I
tumbled into bed and was off almost before I knew it."

Paredes sprang to his feet and commenced to walk about the hall.

"Tell us," he said, "when you first woke up?"

"I guess it was late the next afternoon," Silas Blackburn quavered,
fumbling with his pipe again. "But it was only for a minute."

Paredes stopped in front of Robinson.

"When he turned! You see!"

"It was Waters knocking on the door," Blackburn went on. "I guess he
wanted to know what was the matter, and he talked about some food, but I
didn't want to